Got Their ‘Backs

PHILADELPHIA – The key components to a Vic Fangio defense have historically centered on position groups in which the Eagles have historically sought bargains and minimal long-term commitments – linebacker and safety.

While the latter has provided promising returns this season and responded well to the considerable demands placed on the position, the former has, in many ways, doubled as the glue to a resurgent Eagles defense.

At the second level – the heart of Fangio’s unit – directing traffic are Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean, an oft-scrutinized duo throughout the summer for different reasons.

For Baun, third on the team in defensive snaps (414), the skepticism stemmed from his relative inexperience playing inside linebacker at the pro level.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles LB Zack Baun makes progress alongside Nakobe Dean each week.

Further underscoring the Eagles’ curious free-agent signing was the fact that Baun hadn’t played much defense at all during his first four seasons in the NFL with the Saints, his high-mark being 301 snaps in 2023.

The initial appeal of Baun appeared to be his ability to provide depth to a depleted pass rush.

In Dean’s case, the third-year pro was written off by many coming off an injury plagued sophomore campaign in which he suffered multiple foot injuries and was limited to just 182 snaps over five games.

He spent much of the offseason rehabbing and restoring strength and mobility in his feet, and wasn’t even fully cleared until the final week of OTAs.

Still, the consensus was that the Georgia product was injury prone and too small to stick as a full-time starter.

And that the Eagles appeared to anoint Dean as a starter for the second consecutive season.

Neither of which was true.

Back to the mild-mannered Baun, a lead-by-example type who’s has become one of the faces of a new-look Eagles’ defense alongside the more assertive Dean.

Quick to read and diagnose, Baun’s range and lightning-quick closing speed has been a revelation, as his 69 tackles leads the team.

His football IQ and processing have enabled him to take to his new position rather seamlessly – so much that it’s difficult to believe he’s still new to his role.

Dean, who outperformed free-agent dart throw Devin White during the final stretch of training camp to claim the starting job opposite Baun, perhaps best personifies the physical, tenacious defense he’d always envisioned.

He’s at his best and most natural attacking downhill around the line of scrimmage or blowing up running backs while in pursuit of quarterbacks, but Dean has made noticeable strides in pass coverage, enough that he’s made himself into a multifaceted player.

Dean also sets the tone defensively, providing grit, aggressiveness and an attitude to a defense that last season lacked punch.

And to illustrate the false generalizations about his durability, Dean is fourth on the unit in snaps (409) through seven games.

Sure, Dean struggled with operating in space and tracking running backs out of the backfield at camp – Kenny Gainwell, in particular, had his number – but whether due to renewed confidence in his offseason recovery or merely absorbing Fangio’s elaborate system and playing faster, Dean flashed as the summer advanced and carried that into the season.

“I think they’re both getting better and better each and every week,” Fangio said Tuesday in his weekly press conference. “In Zack’s case, he’s never played inside linebacker, so this whole season is new to him. Nakobe played it in college, but didn’t play much his first two years [in the league].

“As far as being an ILB, Nakobe actually has more experience. But, they’ve both done a good job growing in the position. I think [Inside Linebackers Coach] Bobby [King] has done a really good job coaching them. They’re getting better and better.”

Adding to Dean’s value is his willingness to adorn the green dot on defense, vocalizing information from the coaching staff onto the field and getting the defense primed for what’s to come.

It requires exceptional communication, a full-scope knowledge of the defense, and attention to detail. In certain circumstances, Baun shoulders the responsibility, highlighting the importance and trust Fangio places in both players.

“Some guys are more comfortable with it,” Fangio said. “There have been some players in the league that don’t want it. They just want somebody else to handle it and get the call. They don’t want the added burden of it.

“Nakobe likes doing it. When we do go to six DBs and Baun stays in the game, he does it. Now, when he does it, it has to be more through signals because you can’t have two of them. But if we know Nakobe is not going to – like at the two-minute drive at the half the other day, which only turned out to be two plays – we put it in Zack’s helmet because we went to dime.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.